Yuuri Katsuki
Yuuri Katsuki '(Japanese: 勝生 勇利, ''Katsuki Yūri) 'is a 24 year-old competitive figure skater and one of the main characters of [[Yuri!!! on Ice Wikia|''Yuri!!! on Ice]]. Background Yuuri was born in Hasetsu, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan, where his family owns and operates the last bathhouse inn remaining in town. Yuuri started figure skating as a child at Ice Castle Hasetsu. There, he met his friends, Yuuko and Takeshi. He and Yuuko shared an admiration for the Russian figure skater, Viktor Nikiforov, and they frequently imitated his programs. Yuuri decided to buy a poodle of his own when he learned that Viktor owned one. He named his pet Viktor (nicknamed Vicchan), after Viktor himself. Yuuri is a top figure skater certified by JSF (Japan Skating Federation). When he was 18, he moved to Detroit to train under Celestino, and ended up staying there for five years. While there, he became friends with his roommate, Phichit Chulanont. Appearance Yuuri has short messy black hair and brown eyes. He wears blue glasses, but when he is skating he removes them. He also styles his hair backwards while performing his programs before a crowd. Yuuri is often seen wearing layers of clothing when he is hiding weight he has gained; however, his warm-ups tend to be a jacket and black pants with a stripe down the side. He wears gloves while skating likely to prevent injury. He gains weight easily, but when he is in top form, Yuuri's body, especially his face, maintains a soft appearance, though he also has slight muscle due to his exercise and ice skating. Personality Yuuri is known to be "the figure skater with the world's biggest glass heart." He is soft hearted and easily devastated in the face of failureーso much so that he can slip into a depression for months at a time. He is quiet, kind and easily embarrassed, but is also shown to be stubborn and extremely competitive. After being taken under Viktor's wing as a student, Yuuri begins to steadily develop more confidence in himself. He becomes determined to chase his dreams, and even brushes off most of Yuri Plisetsky's attempts to insult or humiliate him. However, he still becomes easily discouraged and anxious, and doesn't know how to deal with being the person to beat. During competitions, he tends to be a bit colder and more self-centered due to his anxiety and competitive nature, but is learning to pay more attention to those around him thanks to Viktor. Plot Skate 1 - Easy as Pirozhki!! The Grand Prix Final of Tears Yuuri suffers a devastating defeat at his first Grand Prix Finale, placing 6th and dead last. He attributes the loss partially due to the recent passing of his family dog and his habit of stress eating before major competitions. This loss causes him to lose sight of what he wants for his future, and he becomes unsure about whether or not to continue competitive figure skating. After the loss at the Grand Prix Finale, he goes on to lose the Japanese Nationals and thus, misses out on qualifying for the Four Continents and World Championship, ending his season early. Several months after his loss, he returns to his hometown of Hasetsu for the first time in five years. Immediately after his arrival, he's greeted by his former ballet coach, Minako. She brings him to him home, where he's welcomed back by his parents. The first thing he does at home is pay his respects to his dog, Vicchan, who had died a couple months back. There, he's greeted by his older sister, Mari, who asks him if he's going to help out at the family inn from now on. He doesn't give her a straight answer, and she gives up and tells him that if he wants to continue skating, she'll continue to support him. Later, he goes to Ice Castle Hasetsu, where he meets his childhood friend, Yuuko, who's an employee there. She lets him use the rink for practice and he in turn shows her the program he'd been practicing since his season ended, Viktor Nikiforov's free skate, "Stay Close to Me." Unbeknownst to him, Yuuko's daughters are also at the rink, and they film the entire program and later post it online. It goes viral within a matter of hours. Thanks to the viral video, Yuuri ends up catching the attention of his idol, Viktor Nikiforov, who shows up in Hasetsu the following day and tells Yuuri he's going to become his coach. Skate 2 - Two Yuris?! Drama at Yu-topia! Yuuri is instructed by Viktor that he will have to go on a diet and follow a training regime to return to his previous body weight. While returning from a run, he encounters Yuri Plisetsky at the entrance of Ice Castle Hasetsu. He learns of Viktor's promise to Yuri and becomes horrified when Viktor announces a one-on-one competition, named the 'Onsen on Ice,' between the two to resolve the dispute. Yuuri gets assigned to the arrangement "In Regards to Love: Eros." He fails multiple times in capturing the concept of his arrangement. His skills somewhat improves after he starts translating his love for katsudon on the rink but feels his performance is still lacking something. He finally ends up going to Minako for help. Skate 3 - I am Eros, and Eros is Me!? Face Off! Hot Springs on Ice Yuuri is determined to win the 'Hot Springs on Ice' competition with the stimulus of pork cutlet bowls to bring out his Eros. The 'Onsen on Ice' begins. Yuuri delivers an alluring performance and wins the competition, meaning that Viktor will remain his coach. It is later revealed that he asked Minako to help him move in a more feminine way using ballet. Viktor stays as his coach and Yuri returns to Russia to continue training under Yakov. Yuuri vows to Viktor that he will win the Grad Prix final, motivated by his win. Skate 4 - Like Yourself... And Complete the Free Program!! Skate 5 - Face Beet-Red!! It's the First Competition! The Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu Championship Skate 6 - China's On! The Grand Prix Series Opening Event!! The Cup of China Short Program Skate 7 - China's On! The Grand Prix Series Opening Event!! The Cup of China Free Skate Yuuri listens to his family and friends congratulating him on his short program and encouraging him for his free skate. He is already very nervous, and this makes him even more nervous. Yuuri barely sleeps the day before the event. He comes to the rink exhausted, and is unable to close a water bottle. Viktor tells him to go and take a nap. Viktor drags Yuuri into a bed, then collapses on top of him. Yuuri, shocked, asks him if he has set an alarm. Yuuri comes back to the rink later, still nervous, but more rested. Viktor tells Yuuri to avoid doing any jumps during the warm up as he feels that if Yuuri misses any his confidence will drop further. Yuuri does a jump, regardless, and fails it. Viktor then kisses Yuuri to surprise him more than Yuuri has surprised him. Skate 8 - Yuuri vs Yuri The Horror!! Rostelecom Cup, Short Program Skills Step/Spins Yuuri has a very well-developed, unique step technique that's been fine-tuned thanks to the amount of time he spends on the ice. He is also known for his spin sequence more than his jumps. It was only his performance in Skate China where his technical score eclipsed that of his presentation score. Jumps Under the tutelage of Viktor, he has become a more well-rounded skater, he has yet to miss a jump in short programs, and has nailed a triple Axel from a spread eagle entry. Stamina Yuuri has a lot of stamina, which is especially useful for the free skate, and for planning jumps in the second half of the program, and netting the 1.1x point bonus that comes with them. Dance Yuuri has been taking ballet lessons for even longer than he's been a figure skater. In addition, he's also been shown to be skilled in other dance disciplines, like break-dancing, interpretive and ballroom dance, and pole dancing. Relationships Viktor Nikiforov Yuuri has been chasing after Viktor ever since he was a child. He's a huge fan of Viktor, having gone as far as buying a poodle, just like his idol's, and naming it after him. Yuuri and Viktor first met at the banquet taking place a year before the plot begins, where Yuuri had drunkenly danced and asked Viktor to be his coach. Viktor takes interest in him after seeing the video of Yuuri performing his program for "Stay Close to Me," and decides that he wants to be his coach. He helps him transform his image and improve his technical skills. Under Viktor, Yuuri is able to attain multiple personal bests with a short program that so far has the highest technical difficulty ever. Yuuri and Viktor's relationship starts off as distant, with Yuuri being afraid to get too close to Viktor and putting him on a pedestal. With time, though, Yuuri grows accustomed to being around Viktor, and even begins to reciprocate some on some of the physical affection Viktor constantly bombards him with. A major turning point in their dynamic is the conversation at the beach, where Viktor asks Yuuri what he wants him to be to Yuuri, and then proceeds to list off a slew of possible roles, including boyfriend and father figure, he could fulfil. Yuuri rejects all of what Viktor offers, though, and tells him he just wants Viktor to be Viktor. Their relationship reaches another turning point at the Cup of China when Yuuri decides that he wants "to be hated as the man who took Viktor from the world." Before his short program, in lieu of their usual hug, Yuuri laces their fingers together instead and presses his head to Viktor's, demanding that he look at Yuuri and only Yuuri. Despite his newfound comfort with Viktor and the trust the two of them so obviously have in each other, Yuuri is still shown to have doubts about their relationship (which he knows are unfounded) and Viktor's willingness to stay with him. When coupled with the pressure of keeping his first-place ranking and Viktor's inability to deal with emotions, it becomes too much for Yuuri, who has a small breakdown in the parking garage Viktor had lead him to. Even after that, Yuuri has unwavering faith in Viktor though, and when Viktor asks how he should help Yuuri (he offers a kiss), Yuuri tells him that he doesn't have to say anything, that all he wants is for Viktor to stay by his side. Things come to a culmination after his free skate, which he'd ended with a surprise Quadruple Flip (4F), Viktor's signature move. Yuuri scrambles across the ice to the Kiss & Cry for their usual post-program hug, but Viktor surprises him by tackling him into a hug and kissing him. In episode 10, Yuuri and Viktor exchange rings. Phichit thought they were married at first, but Viktor corrects him and says that he and Yuuri are engaged. Yuri Plisetsky Yuuri is aware of Yuri's reputation as the infamous "Russian Punk" and, despite Yuri being eight years younger, Yuuri is still intimidated by him. They first meet during the closing ceremony of the Grand Prix Final, where Yuri tries to threaten him into retiring. Despite this, Yuuri still admires him for being so talented at such a young age, and for his jumping technique. He sees Yuri as much more confident than he is, and is jealous of how comfortable he is in his ability, as well as how relaxed he is around Viktor. Minako Okukawa Minako is Yuuri's ballet teacher and one of his biggest supporters. The two share a very close relationship, and Minako probably cares for Yuuri like she would a son. When he was younger, Yuuri used to spend more time at her ballet studio than he would at home, and he mentions to Viktor that she was the one who encouraged him to get into figure skating in the first place. Takeshi Nishigori Takeshi is one of Yuuri's closest friends and the one who keeps him linked to his hometown even after he pursues an international career. After Yuuri returns to Kyushu, Takeshi is the one who first has a proper talk with him. He is one of Yuuri's biggest supporters. Phichit Chulanont Yuuri and Phichit were roommates and rink-mates during their time together in Detroit. The two of them were evidently very close, as Yuuri is comfortable with randomly calling him at night and using basic Thai in their conversations. Programs Short - In Regards to Love: ~Eros~ The song is one of two different arrangements, written to encompass two different aspects of love. Eros ''is defined as romantic and/or sexual love. The program itself is completely backloaded and consists of a step sequence in the first half, and three jumps (as per ISU regulation) in the second half. The first jump is a Triple Axel from a spread eagle, the second is a Quad Salchow, and the last is a Quad Toe-Triple Toe combination. Free - Yuri on ICE Yuri on ICE is an original composition written by a friend of Yuuri's from his days in Detroit. It was originally written to represent his career in figure skating, but has since been redone to not only encompass that, but also Yuuri's journey in realizing what love means to him. The program itself features twelve jumps in all, with seven of them being in combination (thus not violating the eight jump element rule). The first half of the program features a Quad Toe-Double Toe combination, a Quad Salchow, a Triple Toe Loop, a Triple Axel, and a Triple Flip. There's a brief intermission period with additional figure skating elements, starting with a lunge, then a spread eagle, and then an Ina Bauer. The second half consists a Triple Axel-Single Loop-Triple Salchow combination, then a Triple Lutz-Triple Flip combination, then the step sequence. They had originally planned for the last jump to be a Quad Toe Loop, but Yuuri spontaneously changes it during the Cup of China to a Quad Flip. Quotes Trivia * His favorite dish is a 900 kcal breaded pork cutlet bowl. * He gains weight very easily because of his love for katsudon and mood swings, so he has to be especially vigilant concerning his weight. * His home is in Hasetsu-Cho, Fukuoka. * Katsuki (勝生) can be read as "Born to win," while Yuuri (勇利) can be read as "Courage to win" * Katsuki Yuuri is engaged to Viktor Nikiforov and the two are to marry after Yuuri wins the gold metal at the Grand Prix Final References Category:Characters Category:Figure Skaters Category:Male Characters Category:Main Character Category:Katsuki Family Category:Japan Category:Men's Skaters Category:Asia